Bringing on new hires is expensive. You must go through the vetting and onboarding process to maximize the chances of long-term retention. Many companies search for ways to lower hiring costs without sacrificing quality when it comes to choosing job candidates and training them.
The Association for Talent Development released a State of the Industry Report in 2016 that found organizations were spending an average of $1,252 on training and development per employee. That was a $23 increase from 2014. Employees averaged 33.5 hours of training the previous year.
If you are a small business, then you must be even more careful about where and how you invest your time and resources. According to Entrepreneur.com, small business owners spend approximately 40% of their working hours doing tasks that do not directly generate income, including hiring. Some pay an external HR firm to handle tasks while others try to do it themselves. Either way, there is an added cost involved that can add up.
While businesses cannot eliminate funding for hiring and training, there are ways to reduce the amount needed each year. One of the biggest tools available is the cloud. Cloud-based eLearning presents several ways to cut costs without affecting the quality of your hiring process and training programs. What can a cloud-based LMS do for your business?
- Setup Without Install Fees or Tech Visits
Long ago, if you wanted to add a new system to your business, you had to have it installed directly on your in-house machines. Today, the cloud makes it possible to access entire systems and applications without paying for a full installation.
When you register for a cloud-based LMS, you usually provide details through an online form and can instantly access your system. You may need to set up accounts for admins and trainers and handle back-end tasks like that, but you’ll be able to do it right away. There are no installation fees and you don’t have to wait for a tech to schedule a visit.
- Work on Course Content and More from Anywhere
The cloud makes it possible to work from just about anywhere. You can log into your LMS and work on courses, assessments, and more with an internet connection. There’s no need to waste time driving to the office to make a few changes to a lesson.
The cloud also adds flexibility when it comes to making updates or fixing mistakes. Apply changes on the fly whether you’re at work or anywhere else. Many platforms include mobile access which adds flexibility. You won’t have to carry an expensive laptop and can complete tasks anywhere – even while commuting or sitting in a waiting room at the doctor’s office.
- Use Templates to Build Drafts for Courses and Materials
Some training programs require courses with similar elements or formats that branch off into specialized areas. Many cloud LMS platforms allow users to access templates. These could be available with the system or created by you. Instead of starting every new course from scratch, you can begin with all the basic elements in place to save time.
You can also duplicate an existing course and edit from there. This is especially helpful when building courses that will have similar material but require smaller changes to suit a specific goal or audience. For example, you can create a course for employees and then duplicate and edit the same course for customers or third-party contractors.
- Unlimited Scaling that Grows with Your Business
Cloud-based systems offer better scalability. Software products usually have some limitations. They may be setup for a specified number of users. If you need more, you must upgrade hardware and talk to a tech expert.
The cloud allows for growth without the added time and expense. Your company doesn’t handle the hardware, so you don’t have to worry about dealing with server upgrades or replacements.
Some services include user limits with your subscription. Make sure you know these limits in case your total cost increases. Even with the increase, this is still usually a much more cost-effective option compared to doing it yourself.
- Quick Updates That Won’t Require Tech Support
Eventually, your software will have to be updated. Developers improve or add features, fix bugs, and enhance security. If you skip an update or two, you could put your company data at risk.
Cloud-based systems are automatically updated. The changes are applied to the off-site servers that store your data. Users usually receive a notification to let them know that an update was applied and what was changed. However, you won’t have to do anything. You and your employees can continue using the system without making changes to your local machines.
- Add Online Videos and Images to Course Material
The internet contains a wealth of free educational resources. Cloud-based course authoring tools usually include an option for adding online content. This may be done directly through a third-party platform, like YouTube, or as an option to add a direct link. You can get great content and reduce the amount of video production you have to do yourself.
When applied, the online content fits seamlessly into the course. The learner accesses it just like they access all other segments in a lesson. This is usually done without the need to navigate away so the learning experience remains focused and contained within the LMS.
- Collaborate with Multiple Authors without In-Person Meetings
Some topics are better learned with multiple trainers. A cloud LMS makes it possible to give multiple authors access to each course. You can easily facilitate collaboration to ensure that your learners receive the most accurate and in-depth information available.
You can create multi-author classes without the cloud, but it’s far more difficult. Trainers will have to schedule in-person meetings or phone calls. Emails can be sent, but these aren’t always ideal when it comes to explaining layout or visual aids.
With the cloud, you can work with trainers all over the world with zero travel expenses or scheduled meetings. The LMS is available 24 hours a day so that time zones aren’t an issue, either.
- Manage Permissions and Access with a Click or Two
Permissions prevent unauthorized access to your company’s sensitive data. A professionally built LMS will include settings that let you decide who can access the system. Most include tiers of access for administrators, trainers, supervisors, and learners. That way, everyone can find the tools they need without accessing anything they shouldn’t see.
Data breaches can be very expensive and hurt a company’s reputation. The cloud will allow you to protect your resources and information without hindering your staff’s ability to use the tools they need.
- Reduce the Risk of Human Error in Course Building
No matter how skilled your employees may be, human error will happen. Cloud-based authoring and reporting tools will reduce the risk of errors. Using templates and automatic processes put more of the workload on the machine and less on the person. Entire departments or teams can use the same resources and remain consistent and accurate.
- Save Time with Drag and Drop Interfaces
Drag and drop interfaces help bridge the gap between course building and tech skills. Now, users don’t have to know coding to create professional classes that contain a variety of media and functional components like quizzes and interactive videos.
This is a huge time-saver and can increase the quality of your finished courses. Better courses lead to better training outcomes and higher retention rates within a business.
A cloud LMS may be what your organization needs to lower the cost of onboarding new employees. Visit LMS.org to learn more about which platforms offer the features you need to refine your hiring process and training programs.
